Like most States, New Mexico's legislature grants not only basic foundation money for public schools but also a small percentage of additional discretionary funds. While the foundation money is almost always dispersed in light of a rigid formula, the discretionary funds present the opportunity for political bargaining. While hardly of as obvious…

The intent of these comments is to discuss the increasingly fragmented and conflictive politics of school finance in the context of the broader domains of public finance and public policy, and to comment on differences that have emerged between two groups interested in fairer school financing programs. The sources of conflict are in the struggle…

Carter's proposed cabinet-level Department of Education would consolidate the grant programs, job training, early childhood education, literacy training, and other functions scattered throughout the government. This former assistant secretary of HEW supports the plan and offers suggestions for its effectiveness. (LBH)

Reports the results of a case study of the political decision-making process in Wisconsin through which control over educational finance reform was exercised between January, 1972, and August, 1973. (Author)

Documents and analyzes changes in the structure of educational governance in New Jersey, suggesting that these changes are indicative of general changes in the process of resolving conflict on education issues in other states. (Author/IRT)

The papers in this report fall into three focus areas: (1) new goals and objectives for educational institutions, with a stress on normative analysis of public policy alternatives and a reexamination of prior assumptions on which research is based; (2) the political education of youth, with a particular examination of directions in research on…

The New York State Education Commission proposals that are being considered by the 1972 legislature represent comprehensive sweeping changes in that State's existing education finance system. The ways in which traditional and emerging political forces affect the success and/or failure of those recommendations and the implications for revising…

This study focuses on the political processes involved in the preparation and passage in 1973 of a school finance reform package in Illinois. The author places particular emphasis on how language was used to promote support for the legislation, how partisan politics affected voting patterns in the legislature on this issue, and how legislators…

In this presentation we will examine the situation of English as a Second Language (ESL) program managers, many of whom are charged with the responsibility of marketing their programs and recruiting students internationally, often with little or no training in how to do so (Eaton, 2005). Not only are they set forth ill-prepared, the repercussions…

This paper is primarily concerned with identifying and explicating the environmental forces and political factors responsible for legislative enactment of major school finance changes in Wisconsin in 1973. Easton's political systems theory serves as a conceptual framework for the study. In addition, Lindblom's leadership model, Truman's interest…

This paper discusses the methodologies used in a study analyzing the administration of Federal aid in California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and Texas. The study, conducted by a team, was designed to integrate the case study method with the comparative method. The author describes the methodologies used in the study, outlines the…

This study of the financial and political dialogue affecting programs introduced as part of desegregation efforts in the St. Louis (Missouri) schools is not as optimistic as some previous studies. The value of programs has been overstated, and showcase integrated schools have been promoted, while many schools remain segregated. (SLD)

An important question about school financing is the possible financial consequences of school systems varying along a continuum from more to less political. This variation is "political relatedness," which is measured here with already available data from published sources. The impact of this political relatedness compared with other classes of…

Two articles and a transcript of a colloquium discussion by seven practitioners/experts on the topic of educational policy in the Carter years are presented. The discussion group considered Carter's first year, zero-based budgeting, dimensions of leadership, the fiscal year 1979 budget, reorganization and a Department of Education, and the…